Leah Banicki's Blog

Dear readers....

Well it is done. I have published my 5th book and a few readers have already sent me comments.

This is the fourth book of my Wildflowers Series and I am excited to be continuing the story of my 'Valley Girls'.

This story has been planned for quite a while. I usually know the storyline way ahead of the book I'm writing... When I created the character of Violet I knew right away where her story would go.  (No spoilers here!) But it was emotional and captivating to write to say the least. A few people have written me little messages that they could really relate with her story. That is the main reason I write. I do enjoy a romance but sometimes life gets in the way of those things when we honestly face the past.

Dolly has her own adventure in the wilderness. I know that a lot of readers hated that I just left off book 3 on a cliffhanger... I intended to add all of that to book 3 but it was not meant to be.

This series is such a joy. I get to let my characters live on and plan on writing more books to continue their story.  I see all of them growing old and telling the story of their children as I grow old and gray myself.

Angela & Ted are dear to me and I look forward to continuing their story.

Galina is growing up and may just have her own struggles to face.

Dolly is a woman who is discovering her own strength and may finally find her place in the world.

I can see that Cooper and Brody, and the Varushkin boys will be old enough to be young men during the Civil War.

As my characters keep living out their lives in Willamette Valley I can watch them in my mind. Growing in their faith and making a world in the West.

I do love my job and am happily working on the next book of the series.

Love in Full Bloom

One reader recently told me to write longer books... No problem. I think with all of my characters that will be easy to accomplish.

Please keep reading and leaving reviews. That helps other readers to discover my books too!

As always I update my Author page on Facebook often. So please join me there. Leave a comment, send me a message. I love my readers!!

God Bless - Leah B.

I have more books in the works and will keep everyone posted!

My Author Page - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Leah.Banicki.Novelist

Book 1 - Finding Her Way  - FREE on Amazon
Book 2 - Angela's Hope
Book 3 - Daughters of the Valley
Book 4 - The Watermill

I was pretty sure that by the time I was 40 I would have everything figured out. I am sure that everyone 40 and over would laugh along with me...



I am coming to the conclusion that there is no magic age or situation that makes us suddenly there... that magical place where everything is easy and managable.

There are a few circumstances in every person I know that tests them.
The health problems, or kid problems, or job problems, or family problems.

Life is a revolving wheel of the little tests and the big ones.

I feel like I am just winding down from one of my big tests.

I have been fighting a systemic bacterial infection for many years. Finally diagnosed over a year ago, and despite having gone through several rounds of mean antibiotics I had to try a different method.

The daily battle of figuring out how to rid my body of this pesky bacteria has been a painful and frustrating struggle. In the midst of that I did a complete turn around with my life goals and my career.
Being bed-bound was a huge struggle for me mentally, I am a driver and always have been. I enjoy challenges and not making an income was pretty devastating to my budget and to my mind. I don't want to sit around all the time. It was not in my nature.
Feelings of depression and worthlessness were very real to me.

I really struggled to find my self-worth in knowing who I was, not having a job or being a 'contributing member of society'. That broken record was on loop in my brain daily.

Learning to be patient with myself and my health has been a slow but rewarding process. Learning to work hard at my new job. Not only writing but also to help others with their author careers is very rewarding. I had to go through the testing time to understand my real strengths.

Patience, long-suffering, and self worth don't sound like fun tests but I cannot stress enough how going through this journey has changed me for the better.

My advice to anyone in the midst of their hard test, whatever it may be, to let God into the journey. He will shed truth over your situation. Believing thoughts that are only focused on negative things will only keep you in that trial longer. In every situation there is good and bad about it.  There is amazing truths out there that can help you through any situation.

Sometimes the course of your life just needs one moment of understanding to get it moving forward again.

My bacteria battle feels like it is finally coming to the last cycle. With the understanding that my body has a lot of healing to do. I will need to keep my patience while I am finishing the fight. I know that I want to jump back into the 'well' world with gusto. But I have to remember what I have been through and where I want to go may take time.

I want to be able to look back on this time as not 'lost time' but found time. The time I spent getting to know the real me. The me that is stronger than I thought. That looked death in the eye a few times and came out with a new understanding and empathy for others that are suffering. 

For me the most profound understanding is that I like me. The quirky real person that I am. I am not sure I can ever go back to the people-pleaser I was before. Life is way too short.

I am praying that whatever tests I have in the future, and we all know they are out there, is that I will be better prepared by what I have gone through. I have a few extra tools in the toolbox. To face what comes with God at my side.

Wherever you are on your journey, Don't give up, and let God in. You will never regret it! 


~ Leah Banicki
Writer, Mom, Wife, and survivor!

A writer's life is an interesting one...

Currently excited about my newest book coming out at the end of this month.
 - Daughters of the Valley -

I will have 4 books published... unbelievable!

Taking a moment to step back and consider all that is happening and realizing how thankful I am for the opportunity to have this career.

I am currently writing 2 series. The Wildflowers series is my main focus. 1850's Oregon with a passel of characters that I dearly love. Corinne, Angela, Violet & Clive are real to me and their stories continue to teach me things everyday.

The second series is set in the late 1870's with a young lady named Elsabeth Jameson... a cozy mystery series that excites me exceedingly. Funny characters and intriguing mysteries abound. I intend to finish book 4 of the Wildflowers series before I move forward with the new series but I will admit to taking moments of inspiration to write when I cannot contain a scene.

Not sure how to have more than one story in my head at the same time but I am thankful for the fun of having new ideas to share with the world.

My encouragement to all those that have a dream. Go for it. Use your spare time wisely and make it happen.

~ Leah Banicki ~






Set to release September 26th
Daughters of the Valley
Book 4 of Wildflowers Series

I don't have pretty hands. I never have.

My fingers are not long and elegant. I had a really hard time learning to play guitar & I could not reach a full octave on a piano keyboard.

I accepted long ago that my hands were my hands. No big deal to just face what is as what is. I am pretty practical that way.

Something has built up inside of me over the last decade or so.  I have had many jobs using my hands.

A waitress, shoe saleswoman etc... - I used my hands to serve people.

A singer - I used my hands to express my emotions or clap to the Lord in worship.

A mother - to hold and comfort my child.

A wife  - to have and to hold my husband.

A daughter, sister, aunt, niece and friend - hugs are meant to be shared.

A housekeeper - to do what must be done. The daily grind we all do.


A helper - whether I am helping an author get published, or creating a book cover. I love that my hands know what to do.

A writer - my fingers are an extension of my thoughts. It is miraculous to me sometimes. Hours can go by and I never really was conscious of where the keys are.The story can flow. I pray while I write and hope that God blesses me with the words. Sometimes I am not sure where the inspiration came from. I like it that way.

I have always loved the verse. Deuteronomy 28:12

The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
The verse  gives a gal like me hope. I don't have anything about me that is perfect. But with God's blessing on my work I feel like I can contribute. 
I may be sickly, flawed, insecure and human but I can do work in God's kingdom. Little old me. With stubby hands and a big heart.

Bible Gateway -  Deuteronomy 28:11-13

Sending a special thanks to my daughter - who painted my nails today and inspired me. Something as simple as polka dot nail polish can make a person think. 

~ Leah Banicki



Find out more about Leah Banicki's books at www.facebook.com/Leah.Banicki.Novelist

 

When the darkness tries to take over me, 
Flooding me with terrifying fear.
I shake and my tears are unstoppable.
Jagged thoughts and every hideous word ever said to me returns.
The thoughts are said in my own voice in my mind, 
But I know who truly speaks...
The dark whispers come from a defeated foe!
I cry out – with my tattered shreds of faith
From this place of ruin and loss 
and I...AM...HEARD
God's Holy Peace, 
Nothing missing, nothing broken, 
Is given to me freely.
I am His – He is mine. 
I am saved!

     ~ Leah Banicki

It’s always a big day when you get your book in the mail. Today was that way again for me. The box came… filled with something I made. 
It is more than a little exciting and overwhelming, knowing how much work and heart went into something. The journey to write this book was so much longer than I wanted it to be.


 My prayers today are filled with my own hope, that the book is good and the mistakes are few and easy to fix. (No book is ever perfect, we all do our best.) 

There is one thing I didn’t add to this last book - the real thank you list. 

While trying to write this last book my health deteriorated so badly in this last year that I nearly died. 
The thank you list for the people that held me up during that horrible and painful time weren’t listed in the pages. 
People weren’t helping to get credit. They helped because they cared. 

I remember a day last year when I was at the zoo, a woman in the midst of surviving breast cancer, doing rounds of chemotherapy, was telling me how much she had been praying for me. I was speechless, I had been on my face in prayer for this woman, knowing her two children were wanting their mother to stick around. Her survival has been so inspirational.
I was still undiagnosed, in the land of mysterious illness that had me down for the count. It took me until February of 2013 to finally find a diagnosis. 

I had a core group that really knew what was happening. Some of my organs were shutting down and no longer functioning. I was dying… I had an appointment with a specialist in 4 days. Not sure I could make it four more days. I remember talking to God and asking for him to comfort my husband and daughter, and my parents, thinking if they lost another daughter that would just be… fill in the blank… I have no words for that moment. 
There is a line in my new book Angela’s Hope that is so very personal for that night. 
 "Only a few hours ago she had accepted that she would probably die soon. God had other plans." - Angela’s Hope
 
* * * * *
Sickness and financial hardships go hand in hand. I knew I had a short window to get help before I was going to lose the battle at home. I was only willing to add a emergency room visit bill to my families debt stack if I had too. I was desperate to avoid that.  Choosing between money and life is not a fun choice to make. It brings tears to my eyes now as I remember the struggle. 

With the desperate call from my mother to the specialist, she is very persuasive,  I got in before the office was officially opened the next day. I really feel like I would have died that day if we hadn’t gotten in. My body was done for. 
A plan was made, tests were run, a friend stayed with me overnight and during the day to make sure I stayed hydrated and alive. My doctor called often to make sure I was still holding on while he tried to solve the mystery. 

One stupid blood test - the right one - changed everything. 

Diagnosis is such a beautiful word. Having answers doesn’t mean a cure but it sure does help the heartache and anxiety. There were lots of unpleasant things to do and prescription drugs to take and a long, long recovery to look forward too.

I am on the rocky road of recovery, thanking God for every good day. Holding on to faith on the bad ones that still come. 
My body has been through a blender. 
 

I want to thank those that helped me. 
~ For the rides to the hospital, tests, and procedures. 
~ For the friend who stayed with me through the horrible and scary days. 
~ For my husband and daughter for basically waiting on me hand and foot. Without complaint and with great care. 
~ For the friend who helped pay for one of the tests that had to be paid up front. 
~ For the visits, flowers, and the few little gifts. (Demitri the stuffed dog still lives on my couch, he watches me as I write.)
~ So thankful to God for getting me through. I cannot say enough about the everyday conversations I had with God. He is my source. 

 

I want to send out prayers for those still suffering. Living with undiagnosed pain or a diagnoses with no relief and no cure. There is not always the support groups, ribbons and marathons for everyone who is suffering. My experience throughout all of the pain and suffering over the last seven years has taught me so much about leaning on God. Finding peace and communion with God was the only thing that kept me going.  
Praying that anyone that is hurting while reading this will go to God for the peace and love that He offers freely. 

Being able to write during the time of healing has been such a blessing. I prayed for a purpose during the storm. 
So very, very thankful for a way to pour my heart out. It had been a lifelong dream to write. 

Still asking for prayers as I heal, prayers for my family for a way to pay for all the medical bills. 

Believing that God still has a purpose for me. I am still here. I am so very thankful. 

- Leah Banicki

written 11/12/13 




https://www.facebook.com/Leah.Banicki.Novelist

http://leahbanicki.wix.com/author


 

Was just thinking about how a lot of my friends and some loved ones are struggling financially. This is not the easiest time for everyone. Unemployment being higher than any other time besides the great depression.
My own family has gone through some serious setbacks in the last few years. Having to settle for making less than we did 15 years ago to work our way back up the ladder. 

We are on the hard road... the path of most resistance.
 


Trying to get food on the table and keep the checking account in black every week. It isn't easy. I know that a lot of people are in the same leaky boat as we are.
I was thinking about how in the 80's and 90's how popular the 'Rags to Riches' movies were. Somehow the story of the orphan girl, or the down on his luck guy, suddenly getting filthy rich and their life is changed forever. Sounds good to anyone struggling along. 

I was pondering, I don't know anyone in my life who that has happened too. Most of the time the way to riches or, richer than you are, is one way - Working for it, day in day out and hard! 

It means shopping at discount stores and saving your money. It means sacrificing when you don't want to. It means eating in, fix it yourself and make your own fun.
My husband is back in school and that is a challenge. Working a lot of hours to keep the bills paid and still having time to study and be a dad and husband. For me it is writing my novels and doing computer work for clients from home, while still homeschooling and keeping the house going while my health
s-l-o-w-l-y recovers from it's many problems. 

I realized through all this hard work to be happier with less. To take joy in my family and friends. To think less about the 'I wants' because it doesn't do me any favors. I am purely settled into the 'I need' category.
 

No money falling from the sky has been in my forecast, unless God does some kind of miracle. You will find us doing what we do, head down, working toward our goals. It isn't going to be on any movie poster, but it is real, and I am proud of my family. We aren't perfect or even close. But we are blessed with a happy family. With or without all the bells and whistles.

~ Leah Banicki

Leah Banicki - Author, graphics design, book formatting and computer guru.  In the editing process of self-publishing my third book, Angela's Hope.I have helped publish 17 books for myself and clients.
* * *
A few things I have learned along the way, from my mistakes and some shared from authors I have known.

If you have a book published the one guaranteed thing you will hear from a lot of people is..."I have always wanted to write a book."

My number 1 Do  - Write the book. One day at a time. Get the discipline to get the words on the page. Whether it's a good idea or not let the words start flowing. The rewrite is where you clean it up. JUST WRITE!
National Novel writing month, called Nanowrimo,  is a good community and a great way for a budding author to get a swift kick into writing. http://nanowrimo.org/

One thing I have noticed a lot of in the world of self-publishing is some BAD book covers.
My Number 1 Don't - Don't go cheap on the book cover!

This mistake I have learned the hard way. Do get an editor. I am not made of money. This economy has put a hurt on my bank account. I understand all the excuses. I am living them. I bartered and begged and made my first published book from a laughingstock to a book that people are buying consistently. The first release was a shambles of messy past and present tense... I was a fool and learned my lesson. I don't know if any book is 100% perfect but we can all try and put the best book out there that we can.

The editing process is a nightmare for most writers and we have similar dread for the rewrite process. The one thing that is the most common for author when the book is ready is the hurry up phase. It never EVER works out well when you rush it. Don't rush the rewrite! It needs to spend time away from you with an editor or beta reader. It will give you space from the dreaded burnout. Trust me the burnout of editing is mean and has a big, fat headache attached to it. 
While your book is out of your hands - Do start the next book. You need the new inspiration to keep the "gotta publish the book at lightning speed" feelings away. 

  My next piece of advice is to slow down and don't panic. By the time you have your book in the editor's hand and the list of to-dos gets to be this stressful knot in your stomach. You have the visions of huge royalty checks in your mind and you want to freak out cause it's taking SO LONG!!!! Breath, take a walk, and recharge your batteries. Authorship is a marathon, not a sprint. The reason it needs time is because the mistakes are there. The ones you don't want the readers to see. The goofy fact that you changed the character's eye color mid-way through the book, or your research was a little off, or you have 2 chapter 14s. 

For publishing there are some great places for a writer to go. Check out Createspace.com if you do not have a personal fortune to order your own warehouse of books. That way a poor girl like me can order 1 book or 200 printed copies and pay the same price for each book. It also gets you on Amazon.com and all the other popular book hangouts online. It's a great way to get your foot in the door. Using a secondary publishing house can cost a lot of money and the book ends up costing a lot more for you to make any profit.  If you have a personal fortune then you are in luck. :) 



Once you think your book is perfect, send it to someone else to read again! Beta readers are 100% necessary. Remember all those goofy mistakes... There are still a few lurking in there. 

Do publish in print and ebook format. Kindle Direct Publishing is by far the best sales I have had to date. I use the KDP select program for the advertising but it's is a personal choice for every author. My second favorite is Smashwords.com. It is an author's friend, getting your book published easily to many markets, Sony, Apple iBooks, and many more. Don't skimp on the research. Always read the fine print when publishing with any company. It's your book, you should be making the majority of the profit. This is the new age of publishing when the author gets paid. 
When it comes to marketing read everything you can about it. Lots of authors have blogged on the subject. I promise you will get plenty of great ideas. 

Make an Author Page  - Here is mine as an example. https://www.facebook.com/Leah.Banicki.Novelist  
It is very important to have a separate page from your main facebook personal page. You want a place that is just about your writing. That and your fans don't have to read about your favorite sandwich and your kid's pictures. This author page represents your professional writing business and is a fantastic tool to get more readers. Put this author page as a link in every book, blog and email. Invite people to send their thoughts about your book there. The more people are talking about your book the more their friends and their friend's friends will see it.

Do tweet! Twitter is a growing, massive marketing extravaganza. Learn some lingo, hashtag it up and get the buzz started about your book. I absolutely love seeing that someone actually tweeted about me or my books. Free advertising. Self-publishing is all about word of mouth. 

Be patient about sales. Some months are great with sales, some are not. It has an ebb and flow. As people get to know you and your work it will sell. If it stays slow forever then you need to rethink pricing. Giving your book away for free is a great way to get the ball rolling. I have a nifty trick for doing that. Feel free to contact me on facebook and I will gladly share my tips, no charge. :)
https://www.facebook.com/Leah.Banicki.Novelist

Pricing for self-published authors should stay low in my opinion, with 4.99 being a max for a while. You want readers, and unless you are paying for major ads, no one knows you yet. We are on our own for now. Ask your friends and family for shares, likes, tweets and reviews. You gotta start somewhere. Don't be obnoxious and spam, though. There is a fine line between marketing and getting your facebook page blocked from all your friends.  

Get on Goodreads.com. The book giveaways are a great and cheap way to advertise your book. You need to have a copy or two of the print book to mail to the winner but you can get a lot of interest in your novel. Goodreads is a very active website. Readers Unite!!

I want to end with an encouragement to you. Just keep writing. I never thought someday I would have a book series and be helping authors with their books, but I am doing it. A small town girl, that always filled up notebooks with scribblings full of nothing. Then one day it was something. 
Good luck on your writing journey! 
 
 The list!

Do
Write the Book!
Get an Editor!
Start the next book! 
Slow down! 
Check out Createspace.com! 
Send the book to more readers, again!!!
Do publish in print and ebook format!
Find out how to market your book!
Make an Author Page on Facebook! 
Tweet. Twitter and books are friends!
Be patient about sales!
Goodreads book giveaways!
Keep on writing!

Don't
Don't go cheap on the book cover!
Don't rush the rewrite!
Don't panic!  
Don't skimp on the research!
Don't be obnoxious and spam!

To find out more about any part of the publishing process go to. https://www.facebook.com/Leah.Banicki.Novelist - I love to help people. Feel free to ask away. 

Are you an Author and want to share more dos and dont's?  Please feel free to email me at Leahsvoice(at)me.com. I will gladly add more to this and give you credit and link to your site, blog and/or author page. 

 

Just read an article about "The art of Storytelling" and one piece of advice was to take apart a favorite part of a movie or book and tear it apart.

Why do I love it so much, or why does it tug at my heart strings even after I have seen or read it so many times?

There is a a scene in Sense and Sensibilty where Mr. Willoughby, at the end of the movie, realizing he lost Marianne Dashwood forever. His mistakes and sins led to his own unhappiness.
Now we may have all enjoyed looking at Willoughby, for he was a fine specimen on the outside,  but his devious and malicious character was his undoing, and the undoing of others.

In real life don't we want those that have hurt us to feel a twinge of regret for what that have done to us? It doesn't always happen but I do have a bittersweet feeling watching Willoughby ride off on his steed after hearing the church bells of Marianne's wedding to a man who truly loves her. 


I realized while writing my book Runner Up I had a character that messed up. (No spoilers, I hope.) And like Willoughby had to face his own sins and fess up and face the music of his own making.

My book is set in modern time but I have the deepest respect for Jane Austen and her writing in Sense and Sensibility. The theme travels beyond the 19th century and into our lives. Where we face betrayal, love and loss.

Jane Austen, thank you for inspiring me.

Leah Banicki


 Runner Up - on Kindle

Currently listening to Sense and Sensibility on audiobook. I highly recommend it.

Had an interesting and motivating talk with my 13 yr old daughter today about dreams.

"We all have dreams." I explained. "But some people choose to pursue them, and some people don't."

I come from a motivated family. Entrepreneurs and out-of-the-box thinkers and it might be a bit intimidating to a 13 year old being compared to a full-grown adult's ambition.  But she still does have dreams.

She is right at that age... between 12 and 95, the funny in-between age and it is a challenge to decide who exactly she wants to be. She knows what she wants and we adults all have our ideas for her on how to get there, but... and it's a big one. How much does she want to get there?

There are so many lovely distractions for us all these days but how much are they helping or hindering us? I have dozens of research books and websites to comb through for my research for the book I am working on but have to remember to be balanced about the write vs. research teeter-totter. Otherwise I totter toward student and lean away from the writer.

For her the balance of social, TV,  school and such leaves spare time. How does she use that spare time? She does a lot of great things, but she also does some useless things too. We all do. There are few things we all could trim off the agenda for the day that wouldn't do us any harm.


 I asked - Are you giving enough moments everyday to your dream? 
The question produced an interesting answer. She answered an emphatic. "No" Then grimaced. She didn't like her own answer.

She got right to work on her dreams activity list. I was proud of her. It takes a lot to admit to having a fault in any area and I appreciated her openness to share what she really wants.

It gave me a lot to think about today for myself. I am pretty motivated at the moment toward my goals and have my own bad days of distraction or complete roadblocks that make me stumble toward my goals.

I know I need to keep my goals and dreams in my path daily to keep moving forward. While I still draw breath I must be what God made for me to be.

Hoping to pass that legacy on to my daughter.

by Leah Banicki